| Wrestling Club Open Day | The open day will be held between 11am and 5pm on Wednesday 22 June at: Birmingham Community Wrestling Club, Kilbys Grove, Handsworth Wood off Church Lane (back of Tennis Club) Bus No.16 Contact Salman for more info on 0121 772 6700 |
Three-times undefeated British wrestling champion Kam Banger, who began wrestling at the age of seven, has helped fellow wrestlers set up the community initiative which will be opening its doors to newly settled refugees in the area.
 | | Wrestling champ Kam Banger |
The club, based in Handsworth in Birmingham, will be open to everyone but hopes to draw in the hidden skills of local refugees for whom wrestling is very popular in their homes countries, such as Iran, Turkey and Nigeria. Former champion Kam, who won the English Wrestling Championships twice and held the Junior Title three times, hopes the club will unearth new talent and inspire and encourage the younger generation.
 | | Wrestling |
“The club is good for kids and gets them out and keeping fit. People of all different levels of skill should join, including beginners. It’s very physical but at the same time very sociable” said Kam. The 22-year-old trains every day at the club and takes inspiration from his father, who was a wrestler in India. His sporting journey has seen him compete in the World Championships in Poland and Manchester. The project has been possible thanks to a grant from the Awards for All Lottery scheme. Club Secretary Salma Mirza, who hopes to have regular Open Days for the public, believes the club is good for community and race relations.
 | | Salman Mirza, club secretary |
“For too long refugees have been under attack here in the UK. We hope here we can see our club develop where we have a mix of people getting together and learning from one another. Sport is often a great way to cut through bigotry and racism and puts a human face to an unfortunate and one-sided debate around asylum and immigration.” Kam Banger, who captained the Great Britain wrestling team in ’98 and ’99, shares his wrestling sessions with older brother Kaish Banger and regulars Jay Singh and Jag Plaha. The group meet every evening and welcome anyone up for a tussle. To find out more, contact Salman Mirza on: 0121 565 1179. | 
